Recycling, why should you do it?

Despite promises of a paperless society, we are still surrounded by paper and paper products everywhere we look. From office memos to junk mail to financial audits, paper is a critical part of our professional and personal lives. How we handle that paper is not only an issue of security, but also of responsibility. Paper can be recycled multiple times and used in a wide array of products. The alternative to recycling is to add unnecessary waste to local landfills. So here are 3 reasons you should recycle paper and instructions on how to do it quickly and easily.

1. Keep forests sustainable

Most of the world’s paper now comes from trees which are harvested in sustainable forests, where new trees are planted to replace the ones which are cut down. In order to maintain this trend, it is important that the supply and demand of paper remains somewhat stagnant. Recycling paper means that the demand for new paper production does not over tax our forests and supports the initiative to keep our planet green.

2. Reduce petroleum used in new paper production

When we think of paper we think of trees, but on average the production of 1 ton of new paper uses 380 gallons of oil. Why increase demand for new paper, when you can conveniently recycle the stacks of paper at your house and office? This isn’t only good for the environment, it is also good for the economy and the price of gas.

3. Preserve electricity

Just like oil, new paper production also requires electricity. We do not often think in terms of kilowatt hours (kWhs), but each ton of new paper produced required an average of 4,100 kWhs. To give you some perspective, that is enough electricity to run a 5,000 watt air conditioning unit at full blast for over a month. Recycling can help to reduce the strain on our power grid.

Now that you see reason to recycle your paper, how can you do it quickly and easily? That’s simple, just call DSS at 806-386-6611. We securely shred all the paper and then send it by truck to a recycling facility. Your paper will receive new life as low-grade paper goods such as napkins, toilet paper, and paper towels. Call us today and let us do the heavy lifting, while you have peace of mind that your items are handled securely and professionally.